Where we have come from...

A new monastic story...

There has been a beginning of a renewal of the way we look at being ‘church.’ It is a renewal, if not a new reformation which has a high regard once again for the one holy catholic apostolic church, undivided into sects and denominations. It is a renewal of an understanding of church as relationship — small face-to-face fellowship of passionate disciples of Jesus the Christ. It is a renewal which longs to know the presence and leading of Holy Spirit in a deeply spiritual discipleship, which connects itself to the heart of all humanity. Such a renewal will be fluid at its edges, flexible and open to new possibilities.

Many are beginning to take a fresh look at monasticism and seeing within its understandings the possibility of a renewal of the church in our time. It is not the monasticism of the high middle ages when the movement had all but inflexible; but rather the movement in its beginnings in the desert, its taking root and growing in Celtic Northern and Western Britain and Ireland, and its renewal under the likes of Francis and Columba, and now Australia.

We are not seeking a replication of those earlier movements, but a fresh understanding of the principles which motivated them. What would a new monasticism look like today?

Over the last five years (and more) we have been exploring this provoking idea. We are not alone. Many followers of the way of Jesus of Nazareth around the world are drinking again from the ancient wells. We join with all who are on a similar quest, adding our prayers to theirs for a new monastic renewal in our time.

The monastic way was always a demanding and disciplined life. It required leaving home and family to live with others who shared the Rule. The new monasticism will, likewise, be demanding, but in different ways. Most in the new monasticism will not live in enclosed communities or commit themselves to a wandering life of preaching and poverty. The new monasticism will come from a variety of walks of life and most will not be committed to celibacy. They will seek to engage in the practices of prayer, meditation, study and service in the midst of busy family and work lives. Theirs will be a radical discipleship in finding Christ in the very heart of twenty-first century life as it is lived in the world— the breaking down of the Church made distinctions of the sacred and the secular.

Our Rule of Life based on the experience of Columba of Iona is flexible and has been in development for some years. The edition of our Rule was completed during forty days of prayer and reflection in the summer of 2007.

We are all too aware of it's imperfect nature. We are aware, at the same time, that our Rule is always provisional. In all that follows we are open to further light as we pursue God and live lives of service.

Nonetheless, we offer ourselves to you as small gatherings of good people who are trying to discern vibrant and exciting ways of following the Holy One as we move into the twenty-first century....

A large number of intentional communities are currently forming throughout the Christian Churches – either within them or as parallel communities to them. They are appearing in all the major western Christian traditions— Evangelical, Protestant, Catholic and Pentecostal-Charismatic—and although they vary in purpose, outlook, and theology, they share a common centre: a commitment to follow the God of Jesus - without compromise – into the very ordinary and unheralded events of their daily lives.

Most of these companion communities are small, and when viewed individually appear to be insignificant and ineffective.But when they are viewed as part of a global movement it becomes apparent that an equivalent to the monastic movement of the first millennium is taking place in our time.

This new movement has much in common with the one that preceded it: • Its communities are being brought together through the encouragement of seeking Christians. • They are self-governing. • They are focused on prayer and personal yet ‘other’ focused spiritual growth• They are devoted to radical hospitality, especially for those who need a soul friend.• Their members engage in productive work in the wider secular world.

What is new about this movement of Christian intentionality is however as significant as its continuity with the past: • Its members are both married, single and celibate. • Its communities vary greatly in organizational structure. • They provide for large degrees of individual freedom. • They are located in both urban and rural places and are connected beyond time, distance and lifestyle• Their membership is ecumenical, and their outlook is global.

In Patmos Companions – the Order of St Columba, we are in the early process of growing a soul-care network of people.We think it’s important to be connected to God, attentive to our souls, and present and loving to the people in our lives. Most of us are Christians, or were Church-going Christians, or at least follow Jesus – but not everyone would hang their hats on any one of mainstream Churches’ peg and that’s okay too. We are committed to relationships not to buildings.We are seekers, searchers, explorers, experimenters…We like sport, art, nature and music.We try to use our talents and our treasures to walk alongside people in good times and in bad.We practice a set of practices and celebrate certain seasons.We have three simple reasons for being connected:

1) To stay connected to the Spirit of the God of Jesus 2) To stay connected to others and, lest we forget,3) We actually like each other.

We are a group of friends and acquaintances. We are people who want to recognize that time is not a renewable resource, it matters how you spend it. We want to know the new lady with her daughter who moved in next door. The dreadlock barista at the coffee shop. The yoga teacher with the cool chimes. The plumber at our worksite. We are people who like life. We are computer programmers. We are single. We are priests. We are parents. We are wine lovers. We are people who fight, who laugh, get bored, and get inspired. We make music; we make soup. We laze around in the sun; we play scrabble in the rain. We read good novels; we learn about wine and food. We are explorers. We are people who want to worship God, and talk to God, and listen to God. We are people who readily admit we are not entirely sure what that means. We are people who learn not from a leader, but from one another. We pray – alone and together. We blow dust off of old books, we reform old beliefs. We uncover ancient practices and make them our own. We say, “I was wrong,” We look twice at something that catches our eye. We seek the divine in all things.

May the Three of Surpassing Love lead you into the depths of God.

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